(Updated: 8/28/25) The Columbus-Lowndes Public Library System proposes to implement the Friendship Bench Initiative, a community-driven model designed to address mental health needs, reduce stigma, and improve health literacy in Lowndes County, Mississippi. By training trusted senior volunteers to provide peer counseling at designated benches in public spaces, the project will integrate National Library of Medicine (NLM) resources—including MedlinePlus, PubMed, NNLM Reading Club, and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)—into community mental health education. This initiative will engage underserved populations, including older adults, veterans, rural residents, and those with limited access to medical care.